Love Songs For and Against
by TarTarIcing
Summary: A compilation of romantic ask box prompts from Tumblr. May or may not expand.
1. Bloodseeker and Bounty Hunter

If there was one thing that was certain, especially in the unpredictable tides of war and its soldiers, it was that Bloodseeker was not a very bright man. He was the first to rush into anything without proven sight and the first to forget that he had healing items on his person when he was deep into battle. However, he was last to learn certain things that everyone else knew.

By all miracles and coincidences, Strygwyr the Bloodseeker had an anchor to this life. That anchor was Gondar the Bounty Hunter, a thief of not only greed, but also of cleverness and strategy. When the two first met, the friendship went off like fireworks, constant banter over strategy under the towers and whispered confessions over the hill. Over time, their attitudes about each other calmed down and took on a loving tone, rather than the confrontational tone that their team was used to.

More so for Bounty Hunter, who found out his infatuation for Strygwyr took an intense turn as he observed him fervently cut into the wood from a felled tree. Gondar cupped his hand in his cheek and sighed, "Aren't you tired, Strygwyr? The kindling is thin enough." He walked over to him and patted his shoulder.

"Not thin enough!" The Blood Seeker replied disapprovingly as he cut the sticks into thinner slivers, "Slivers make better fire!"

"Wood burns just the same," Gondar chuckled nervously. The other's religious fervor has had an effect on him. He sat down as he watched the other cut intently.

Suddenly, Strywygr stopped cutting and put the wood slivers down. He stared straight into Gondar's eyes and asked, "Why are you so close to me lately?"

Gondar leapt back at the curtness of the said question. Sweat started beading at his forehead. The gears in his head started turning, realizing that his incredibly close friend may not comprehend love.

Scratching his head, he answered, lowly, "Because you are my best friend, Strygwyr. Best friends can be very close, right?"

"Yes," He agreed, "Yet you give me hugs that are too tight, wipe the sweat off of my skin, personally dive under tower to guarantee my safety, hold my hand-"

"Best friends can do that!" Gondar yelped, possibly in embarrassment as his eyes darted around the encampment.

"I guess the line between best friends and lovers is thin as this sliver," the Blood Seeker blew one into the fire, "But I am very glad for our friendship."

"Friendship?" Gondar repeated, indignantly, "Friendship? Do you realize the others tend to leave us alone when we're together like this? Have you realized when you saved my life as broken and damaged you were, they didn't stop talking about it for days? They didn't even shut up when you resuscitated me when I almost drowned but yet you couldn't take your mouth off mine?"

"…Isn't that the extent of our friendship?" Strygwyr blankly quipped, "You always have given me the best presents."

"How can you think I'm anything but hopelessly in love with you?" Gondar put both of his hands on his shoulders and forced his face in, red eyes bored into a wood mask.

The Blood Seeker firmly pulled Gondar's hands off his shoulders, "The Twins dictate that as a society we defend our best friends to the death, but yet I've seen you as more than that. For lovers, we defend them not only to the death but for the life after."

"Do you not love me?"

"I love you, Gondar, but I have to process this," Strygywr hugged Gondar tightly, then giving him a gentle kiss on the lips, "Do not feel alarmed, I would defend you to not only the death but the life after."

"That's good enough for me." Just as the fire roared, both fell asleep in each others' arms


	2. Sun Wukong and Phantom Lancer

This morning was not too kind to the Monkey King. Not only was he sore, he was completely bound to… a tree, no…

Two trees… Three trees… Wait, it's an entire cluster of trees to house jungle creatures. He couldn't move despite the haggard panicked tugging of his limbs. Sun Wukong squinted at the high sun shining onto his temple. Even worse, he figured out by touching whatever bound him to the trees that it was not rope. It did not feel like rope, as rope was a rough and scraggly material. This was sticky and had varying lengths to it. **It was spider webbing**.

Sun Wukong's eyes opened in horrid realization that this was Broodmother's doing. Broodmother had finally gotten her revenge on him. Another thing he realized was that his staff was just within his reach, but alas his arms and legs were bound and spread so he couldn't reach an inch. He screamed not only in agony but for help.

"WHAT THE FUCK? THE FUCK IS THIS? BROODMOTHER, WHEREEVER YOU ARE, I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS! MARK MY WORDS! YOU'RE LUCKY THAT YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD AND AS SOON SOMEONE CAN HELP ME OUT OF YOUR WEB YOU WILL SOON BE DONE FOR!" Branches rustled and birds flew away as the Monkey King slumped in the webbing. A king like himself couldn't stand the threads as he kept wriggling and wriggling. They were just disgusting.

Within an hour or so, the phantom lancer walked by.

"Azwraith!" Sun Wukong yelled for attention, "Azwraith! Cut me down please…?" Azwraith turned toward the monkey's direction, strangely with a smirk on his face. "The hell you smiling about?"

"Well this is awkward…" The phantom lancer whistled, resting his pike on his shoulder and putting a hand on his hip.

"What are you staring at?" The Monkey King spat, "Cut me down!"

"An inpatient one, aren't you?" Azwraith scanned the muscles of the monkey's body, "I quite like this predicament too much to cut you down just yet."

"Are you with Broodmother?" He replied, offended.

"No, but I admire her work," Azwraith used his free hand to trace on Sun Wukong's body and the webs, "She sounds like a valuable ally by the look of this."

"I hate how you're amused by this," The monkey blushed, looking away.

"Must be some strong web to tie _you_ of all things down."

"Cut me down."

"You have to remember that I am a cat in a way. I love strings and things caught in them," The phantom licked his lips, rubbing the tips of his fingers. He then began to run his nail all over the monkey's body and the webbing holding him.

"Cut me down. _NOW_."

"Not yet," The phantom lancer cooed, "As a plaything, you are incredibly entertaining." He continued to paw at the monkey and the spider webs. His hands went everywhere save a few parts, but he left his pike on the ground before doing that. Sun Wukong's breath began to hitch when Azwraith's paws touched at _certain_ parts. The phantom lancer exhaled through his nostrils and smiled.

Embarrassed and pawed at was not something the monkey king expected when he called for help. Indeed the morning had went downhill from when he woke up, but he had a silver lining. Someone as lithe and strong as the phantom lancer pawing at his body was not something he completely opposed. In fact, he enjoyed it enough as the lancer's fingers brushed carefully yet playfully across his skin and yet he didn't mind the nail from time to time. Broodmother could wait.

Azwraith noticed that Sun Wukong's face had went a completely different direction. "Both of us are enjoying it now, is it not?"

"You have your talent in pawing that's for sure." He let out a gasp as Azwraith's finger began to deviate from his normal route.

"I guess it's natural." His finger began to rub lower. The monkey let out a groan.

"You're having too much fun with this, aren't you?" It didn't take long for the snark to come back.

"I've had my fun," Azwraith quickly noted. He picked his pike back up and cut the monkey out of the spider webs.

"Took you long enough," Sun Wukong replied panting and chuckling.

"I guess we can relive our stress elsewhere."

"Broodmother can wait." Both grabbed their weapons and darted to some isolated section of the forest.


	3. Enigma and Rubick

Warning: Dota 2 Reporter AU  
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Enigma and Rubick went through a lot. And when they say a lot, they really mean _a lot_.

Pub matches. Events. Custom games. Low Priority. They have been through it all, regardless of winning or losing. Sure Nigel has never seen most of the matches, but he was there for the defining moments of the relationship. Even though he didn't want to be there out of the sheer awkwardness of it all.

At first there was Rubick's dirty black hole joke about Enigma, then there was the clandestine "I love you" from Enigma, then there was Rubick being unable to function without Enigma and playing like absolute garbage, and then there was Rubick actually being able to function now that Enigma is on the same side as him.

Now it all came down to an explicit confession from either of them. All three were out in the forest near Yama Raskav, one of Rubick's prospective universities.

"So this is a magic university?" Nigel asked. He was glad to see something outside of battle.

"Yes," Rubick nodded, "I would've studied here if it weren't for gold. It has incredible programs for spells and dark magic."

"That sounds boring as fuck," Enigma blurted, "I just came here with these powers."

"You'd be better if you took a class, Enigma," the grand magus poked Enigma's cheek, "You're the one that said Chaos Knight dropped you on the head as an eidolon."

"Says the one who played like absolute horseshit without me," the elemental playfully spat. Rubick stepped back and looked down, rubbing his foot on a patch of crabgrass underneath him. It certainly felt hot in his mask.

"…You idiot."

"That wasn't nice of you, Enigma," Nigel admonished, "Not everyone wins, you know."

"Don't worry Nigel, I'm… not offended," Rubick held his staff tight as he looked away. His mask got ten degrees hotter.

"Well it's true, you can't have a 100% win rate," Enigma scratched the back of his head, "That would be broken as fuck. Like you're still good and all."

"You're so honest it hurts, Enigma," Rubick growled. Shit, Enigma did look a lot more than huggable at this grand magus cursed himself for these kind of thoughts that circulated around his head.

"You know what, I'm going to follow that sign to that university. I'm sure you two will meet me over there," Nigel suggested as he darted towards the sign.

"You think he's gonna be okay?" Enigma asked, "He's just a little human."

"Of course he's going to be okay, he has a brain," Rubick sighed, "But there's more important things to talk about!"

"Like what? Like how you're moody and shit?"

"I am not moody!"

"You overreacted to me talking about your performance in-game. The normal fun Rubick would brush it off and play better next time."

"Says the 2K solo and party MMR scrub."

"There it is! You're being moody! Fun Rubick wouldn't insult people based off of MMR." Rubick threw his hands up in the air and let his staff drop and gave out a large " **UGH** ".

"I'm just stressed…" Rubick buried his head in his hands.

"That match with Terrorblade was a while ago. I may be dumb, but I can see shit. There's something wrong with you and I wanted to know." The grand magus then did something that surprised him.

Hug him and tight and bury his head in his chest.

"The hell is this?" Enigma gasped.

"What does it look like to you?" Rubick snarked.

"You acknowledge your mistakes and move on?"

"NO!" The grand magus smacked the elemental upside the head, "I love you, you dense fuck!" Enigma dropped his hands and stared at his _best_ friend intently. It felt like a ton of bricks, if the bricks were Monkey King Bars. Like love wasn't a concept that he knew. But he was certain that he viewed Rubick as beyond a best friend, that he would protect him to the death.

"I'd die for you. Of course, I'd haunt you in the afterlife but really, it's the thought that counts," Enigma confessed back, stroking Rubick's ponytail.

"You already did _that_ ," Rubick chuckled, "That's one thing I love about you."

"What's another thing?"

"You're really strong. You're straightforward, you actually have a sense of wrong and right, you can be dumb sometimes, and you can pull through and you've improved so much without me. But shit you're so attractive I don't know what to do with myself."

"Color me fucking touched. You're cute AND loyal as it is. You're also smarter than I am," Enigma held Rubick off the ground and carried him towards the university, "I didn't know you'd feel that frustrated over this, but I'm glad to help, you adorable bastard." The elemental gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Don't you play that game with me, you dense fuck," Rubick returned the kiss, resulting in both giggling.

Much later at the Yama Raskav library, Nigel walked into the bathroom to see Enigma and Rubick coming out of the same stall. Rubick's pauldrons were on backwards and his robe was heavily wrinkled while Enigma had a dumb look on his face.

"…I don't want to know," Nigel threw his hands up in the air and walked towards the history section.


	4. Crystal Maiden and Sven

Here's to my first heterosexual fanfiction!  
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Rylai sat on the log outside of the tent. Both she and Sven had to retreat back to Icewrack due to Sven's grievous injuries. She twiddled her thumbs and swallowed quickly, wondering if the shamans could do their jobs right this time. Earlier, Sven fought against Beastmaster, Wraith King, and Venomancer all by himself to ensure Rylai's safety. Zharvakko dragged Sven out just about when he passed out from Venomancer's poison, just in the nick of time they supposed.

Rylai had mixed feelings about this. She was incredibly grateful about her life and to Zharvakko for saving Sven, but at the same time she blamed herself. It was her fault Sven charged in for her, she rationalized. She was in an improper position to cast spells but thought it was a good time to do so. Sven helped her to be strategic and this is where it led her.

To Sven nearly dying and far from the battlefield.

And she did not like that one bit. Sven to her was a breath of fresh air she needed ever since departing from Icewrack and looking for her sister. Sven was the pinnacle of chivalry she so very craved after seeing legions of degenerate warriors harass her and other womenfolk. Sven was the man that she wanted to marry after the war was over. Her heart was set on the warrior and she was okay with chasing him from tower to tower and town to town. The chase was what kept her going.

The chase was still keeping her strong now. Rylai got up and dashed to the tent, asking, "How is Sven?"

Zharvakko spat on the ground, blase, "He'll live." He ground down a bone into a fine powder, "Venomancer's poison was terrible, but my potions are worse."

"He doesn't look too strong right now…"

"Ah, my anesthesia knocked him out good, but you can try to talk to him. Just don't do it too loud."

Rylai went over to the seat near Sven's head, and started rubbing his helmet, whispering, "Can you hear me Sven?"

Sven lowly made a grunt, shifting his weight over to the crystal maiden's direction.

"Sven? Can you speak?"

Zharvakko looked at Rylai, "I don't think you want to make him talk or lift his torso."

"I-I'm sorry, Sven.." she stuttered, adding it as another fault to him. Sven still managed to lean towards her anyway.

"No," Zharvakko bleated. Sven weakly shook his head and slowly propped himself up.

"If you're still in pain, don't force yourself please," Rylai became panicked, wagging her finger.

"What a stubborn one," the witch doctor muttered to himself, "I'll leave you two be, I guess he'll listen to you more." He hobbled out of the tent, muttering further about gathering medicinal plants and materials.

"I can… listen," Sven blubbered.

"Please don't push yourself," Rylai was almost in tears and voice breaking, "I'm sorry I was in a bad position. I'm sorry I led you to this, I didn't know. I didn't mean any of this. I-" Sven put a finger to her lips.

"Do… Not… Blame… Yourself," Sven wheezed, weakly shaking his head again, "You're not… like… me."

"I can't stand the thought of losing you, Sven," She started to weep, "I appreciated everything you've done to protect me." She gave a firm hug to the rogue knight, resting her head on his chest.

"No, I can't stand the thought of losing _you_ ," the rogue knight coughed, "I protect you because I love you. I will… be… strong. I… can't… lose another."

"If you love me, don't keep hurting yourself like this. Save your energy."

"Perhaps… I will sleep now," Sven plopped into the bed, taking Rylai with him.

When Zharvakko returned, both the rogue knight and the crystal maiden slept together, nestled under the sheets.

"A good woman always starts a fire in a man's soul anyways."


	5. Lina and Luna

Oh look, my first lesbian fanfiction!  
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"Over here Luna!"

Luna's eyes darted over to the red head, Lina. She ran up to her and gave her a big hug.

"I'm so glad you made it to my sister's wedding!" Lina squealed. Today was Rylai's marriage ceremony to Sven. Despite the small amount of company that compromised of family and close friends, everyone was so ecstatic. The women wore simple floor-length gowns while the men wore formal robes.

"Mirana took over and she too sends her regards," Luna replied, "Crystal Maiden's so beautiful up there!"

"It's the newlywed glow," Lina chuckled, "And speak of the devil!" Rylai and Sven walked toward them.

"Congrats on your marriage!" Luna gave both a bear hug.

"Thank you, Luna!" Rylai giggled, feeling the wind knocked out of her.

"Mirana also sends her regards!"

"You both have my gratitude," Sven replied, petting Rylai on the head and then giving her a kiss on her forehead. The rogue knight whisked her away and went towards the crowd.

"This is beautiful, a blessing of Selemene that's for sure," Luna sighed, hands on her cheeks.

"It's a miracle alright," Lina agreed, "It took Mom and Dad forever to accept Sven, but here we are." All of them went to the picnic tables nearby, feasting on roasted boar, cheeses, wine, and breads of every variety. There was plenty of singing and dancing along with speeches and gift giving. Lina and Luna sat at the furthest table, looking longingly at Sven and Rylai dancing.

"I don't know if it's the wine talking, but I feel like if I get married, I don't think Mom and Dad will care as much as they did for sis," Lina said blankly, eyes lazily pointed forward.

"I guess it's Selemene's plan," Luna replied, "Looking at the stars, it's a wonder how we're so small and so large at the same time."

"You got a point, it's gonna be my day, not theirs. I'll make it as big as I want to; gourmet food, loud music, big dancefloor, and an open bar for everyone!" Lina threw her hands up in the air and chugged down another glass of wine.

"The open bar is a great idea!" Luna high fived Lina, "And maybe provide some real beer and mead!"

"Any other ideas, Luna?"

"Other than adding the ceremonies honoring Selemene, no," Luna then curtly added, "The only thing I want is you."

"… ** _What_**?" Lina was suddenly confused.

"You're the reason why I bothered coming here."

"I'm not surprised about _that_ part. I just want to know what you mean."

"I don't know if this is the wine talking, but _In Vino Veritas_ , I have feelings for you," Luna put an arm around Lina. Lina felt herself blush even more than she did with the flush of wine.

"Oh my god…" Lina gasped.

"What is it now?"

"I think I love you too," Lina's voice lowered down to a whisper, "It took me a long time to realize it. Just battle after battle and all the times we've roomed together and all the talks we've had. You and I just… click. And it's hitting me right now."

"I realized it when I saw Sven propose to Rylai. I saw myself and you in their shoes, doing the same one day. The fact that we can be like them, it… It gives me hope."

"I usually feel so bitter around couples like this," Lina stared Luna's eyes, "But I don't have to be when I'm around you. I happy with you as it is."

"I thank Selemene every day I have you," Luna kissed Lina on the cheek, and then on the forehead, and then on the lips. They shifted in their chairs to be closer together, holding one another.

"How about we have a dance for ourselves?"

"I'll gladly accept."

From a distance, Rylai and Lina's parents looked at their red haired daughter dancing with another girl.

The mother only commented, "At least Lina's not alone." The father shrugged his shoulders.


	6. Lich and Nightstalker

"Tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I'll never leave you again," Lich spluttered out.

Balanar swallowed thickly, looking intently at his support. Things have never been right ever since the streak of defeats on their hands. Yet, a bond between a carry and a support was a special thing.

"…What do you mean about that, Lich?" Balanar questioned, wringing his hands, "You can't stick with me the entire time."

"I get worried though," Lich defended himself, "You can't be alone, it's too dangerous."

"…I can handle myself, _Ethrain_ ," the night stalker refuted, "I'm strong enough. Those leaders are just larger creeps. Don't worry." Ethrain had a mixed look of hurt and amusement. The lich wasn't thinking of the same context as Balanar was. It was always the night stalker to think of the battle and not much else, given that he was built for war. For the other, he was thinking of his own terms of his own resurrection, and how much he really did not want to leave his carry no matter how inevitable things seemed. However, Ethrain _listened_. He always kept an eye and ear on him, no matter the situation.

"You have power over me; you know it and I know it," Lich sighed, "I just want you to be happy even when I'm not…" It felt weird to speak like this. To say all of this, but yet it was the most honest he has been in _years_.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," Balanar tried to put the pieces together, "We're not ones to love, and especially _love each other_. I've a vendetta against Ezalor for my people and your own pride kept you from freezing over. I hate how binding it is, but I couldn't ask for a better support." He got up from the rock and put an arm around Lich's shoulder, nestling his head over, "I don't know how we're even alive at this point, but it may be because we actually care about each other."

Lich began to hug Balanar tightly, squeezing his torso, "I guess that means I will follow my word entirely."


End file.
